Vending machines are often used to vend items and/or services to consumers in locations where it would be impractical or inefficient to staff human beings to provide the items/services. Because vending machines are typically located where the vendor cannot constantly monitor their operations, vendors rely on operation information stored by the vending machines in the vending machines' memory, such as diagnostic information for peripheral devices (e.g., coin acceptors/changers and bill validators/acceptors). A Digital Exchange (“DEX”) interface is the current industry standard for gathering stored information by a vending machine.